Kevin Dufau
by Dana Doggett
Summary: Monica finds out that Brad committed suicide before his murder trial of Nicholas Regali could ever begin.


Title: "Kevin Dufau"  
>Author: Dana Doggett Feedback: Website: .com  
>Date: June 15, 2011 Distribution: Serenity of X, Always On Your Side. All others please ask.<p>Rating: PG Category: FollmerReyes, drabble Timeline: "Release" and "Sunshine Days"  
>Word Count: 1014 Beta: Little Albatross<p>

Summary: Monica finds out that Brad committed suicide before his murder trial of Nicholas Regali could ever begin.

Author's Note: I don't like using character last names when I write. This is a response to the Awareness Month 2011 FRR Release Drabble Challenge at Serenity of X (details of the challenge are provided after the end of the story).

Disclaimer: I do not own "The X-Files", Monica Reyes or Brad Follmer. They belong to 20th Century Fox Broadcasting, and Ten-Thirteen Productions. They are used here without permission for entertainment purposes only.

I hate him. I hate Brad for every mistake he ever made. I hate him for having helped Luke's kidnapper and molester, Bob Harvey, get off when he was our main suspect in New York. I hate him for accepting bribe money. I hate him for destroying the promising career he had in the FBI, and I hate him for taking him away from me.

Barbara Doggett asked me to go with her and John to release Luke's ashes, she said that he would need me to be a shoulder to cry on. I get home only to receive a call from Skinner saying that Brad was found dead, an apparent suicide, and that I do not need to come to court tomorrow to testify for him. The news of Brad's death hurt me. I love - loved him and I believed that somehow he would walk free. After all he killed the man who murdered Luke Doggett. I viewed the killing as justice, others viewed it as first degree murder.

John and I are in Van Nuys investigating "The Brady Bunch", if I weren't a fan I would be as irritated as John. Back at the Los Angeles field office SAC Fossa tells me that I have a call. I take it in her office. I figure it's Dana, and when I say "hello" the voice that answers back is a ghost - Brad Follmer.

He's been put into WITSEC, the Witness Security Program also more commonly known as Witness Protection, and had to fake his death so the mob would not be looking for him. He asks me to meet him tonight on the Santa Monica Pier. I agree. I have to see him again.

I tell John that I have family to visit since we're on the West coast, he nods his head and picks up his phone to dial Dana. Was I ever as obvious about my feelings for Brad back before we hooked up in New York, as John is about his feelings for Dana? I honestly don't care. I hope he can be with her, he deserves a second chance at happiness.

I drive to Santa Monica and walk out onto the famous pier. I recognize Brad immediately even though his back is to me. I smile before he can turn around and see me.

"Brad?"

I'm quiet, I don't want to blow his cover. He turns around and smiles at me.

"Kevin, actually," he smiles.

His arms are around me now, and like a girl I have tears welling in my eyes. I never wanted "us" to end in the way that things went down only weeks before.

"I love you," I whisper in his ear.

"I know."

We hold onto each other longer than usual, neither one of us wanting to let go. We both know this very well could be the last we see of each other.

"I wanted to give you this."

Brad breaks away from our embrace, he sees the tear fall down my cheek.

He hands me a small black velvet box and I open it. Inside is a silver necklace with a heart-shaped pendent. I recognize this piece of jewelry from a time in New York where we were window shopping, and I made such a fuss about the necklace. I thought he hadn't paid attention, I was wrong.

"I bought that for you back in New York, Monica. I want you to have it to remember me by. I've been trying to find an appropriate time to-"

I kiss him. He doesn't need to explain to me why he's held onto this necklace for over three years. I understand.

I pull away from him and he wipes a tear from my face. I kiss him again so he can feel how much I love him, and how much I wish things were different. I feel it from him too. I step back, away from him, trying not to get caught up in my emotions. I look down at the necklace in my hand.

"Here..." he sounds broken-hearted, "let me put it on you."

I hand him the necklace and turn my back to him. He gently pulls my hair away from my neck. The sensation sends shivers up my spine. He clasps the necklace on and allows my hair to fall back on my shoulders. I lean against him, my back to his chest. We stand like this for what seems like eternity, but it is only a couple of minutes.

"I have to go," he whispers in my ear.

Subconsciously my hand touches the necklace around my neck and I can only nod. If I spoke I would break down and cry. I look at him and he smiles as if to tell me that I shouldn't worry and that everything will be all right.

"Monica, if you ever want to..."

He seems unsure of what to say despite knowing exactly what he wants to say to me. His eyes lock with mine.

"Look me up under Kevin Dufau in the L.A. area. I'm sure I could talk to the US Marshalls about having you join me, if that's what you want."

I nod my head and know that if I took this option at any point down the road that Brad and I could have our second chance. We could erase everything that went wrong in our relationship in New York, and in D.C., and start over from scratch.

He steps closer to me and holds the side of my face with his hand. He looks me in the eye as he has done thousands of times when he tells me...

"I love you, Monica."

I look upward with my eyes to keep myself from crying and I whisper back...

"I love you too."

And then I'm standing alone on the Santa Monica Pier, watching him walk away, disappearing into the crowd as Kevin Dufau. My hand rests on the heart pendent around my neck, and I know that one day he and I will be together again.

END

Release Follmer/Reyes Drabble Challenge Due: Saturday, June 11th Submit to: You can post your drabble in this thread (or email to: )  
>Word Count Requirements: 500 words or less In this FRR Drabble Challenge, explore the feelings or thoughts of BOTH Follmer and Reyes during this episode. You can have a missing scene, or thoughts during a scene of the episode, or a post-ep story. Explore ideas about FRR that are new to you (you can use the episode discussion with other members to help inspire you), if you can try to present something new and unique to their relationship that may not have been thought of before <p>


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